Calgary Flames Need To Cut Dead-Weight In The Offseason

The Calgary Flames 2015-2016 season is almost over, and I think it’s safe to say changes will be made.

While I’m sure there will be new players brought into the line-up for next season, the Flames should focus on moving out the players who no longer contribute to the team’s success, and who actively sabotage team success.

If the last three weeks of Flames hockey has shown us anything, it is that the young players in the Flames organization are ready to step-up and contribute.

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Players like Joni Ortio, Jyrki Jokipakka, Jakub Nakladal, and Garnet Hathaway are all proving themselves deserving of a spot in the line-up for next year’s season.

One problem, the Flames have a quartet of overpaid players, who no longer contribute to the team are blocking their path.

First off is Dennis Wideman, who is a good power-play defence-man having put up two 50 point seasons, including a career-high 56 points last season.

But Wideman is too slow and coughs the puck up way too much. Couple that with the fact that Calgary’s power-play improved a lot without Wideman in the line-up, and you have the makings of an expendable defence-man.

The two new-comers to the Flames blue-line in Jokipakka and Nakladal are playing so well for Calgary that it cements Wideman’s status as someone who is no longer useful to the club.

At 5.25 million for another season, getting rid of Wideman and his contract would be ideal, not to mention losing his side-show with the NHL and linesman Don Henderson.

Ladislav Smid is another defender who had his role usurped by younger and faster players. Smid is a decent 6-7th defenceman, but he is grossly overpaid at 3.5 million for another season.

The fact that there are younger, cheaper players like Tyler Wotherspoon and Brett Kulak who can play better than Smid is something to be considered with the Czech defender.

Smid is currently on the I.R. and struggles with neck issues, so his future is up in the air, but if he decides to return for next season, it could create a logjam on defence for the Flames.

Up front two main names jump out in Matt Stajan and Mason Raymond.

Raymond is a guy who never quite fit in with the Flames, and at 3.15 million for another season, there’s just no point in keeping him.

He is the softest player on the Flames and takes up a vacant spot on the team, although he would be a good vet down in Stockton (AHL) for the youngsters, I doubt he wants to play a whole year in the minors.

As for Matt Stajan, he is cashing in at 3.125 million for the next two seasons.

Matt is an all-around good pro and solid NHLer, he was a great player for the Flames in their playoff series against Vancouver and is one of the most vocal guys on the team.

But he is soft for a 4th line centre, and at 47.3% on face-offs, he leaves much to be desired in the face-off circle.

I would much rather go with big, two-way face-off aces, Derek Grant or Freddie Hamilton next season, as both are more physical, better on the forecheck and, of course, better on face-offs.

Making this change would certainly help Calgary improve their modest face-off totals for next year, and hopefully climb out of the basement in this statistic.

While there are other over-paid players like Brandon Bollig, Lance Bouma, and Derek Engelland, none of them are as big of a concern as the players mentioned above.

The Flames are currently paying a combined $15.025 million dollars to the quartet of Stajan, Raymond, Smid, and Wideman.

That money is what it would cost to re-sign Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, or sign a number one goalie and a top-six forward.

Either way, the Flames could desperately use that cash to work with.

Getting rid of these contracts will be difficult.

You might be able to trade Wideman based on his passed pedigree, and the fact that he is a UFA after next season, but probably not until the trade deadline.

Trading any of Stajan, Smid, or Raymond will be incredibly difficult, maybe even too difficult to pursue as any trades would likely see the Flames giving up assets and eating salary to get a deal done.

Of course buying out contracts and burying them in the minors is always a possibility, just not one the Flames would like to use.

This season has been very much a disappointment, but the young players for the Flames had certainly stepped-up and shown they can play at the NHL level.

Next: Expansion Draft Could Help Flames Land A Goalie

It’s time now for Brad Treliving to do everything in his power to get rid of some of these bad contracts, to free-up some cap space and roster spots for young players.

I think it’s safe to say they earned it.

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